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An email sent to families by Manhattan Elementary School District 114’s Board of Trustees on Saturday revealed that Principal Russell Ragon and Human Resources Director Christine Ruddy resigned late last week “due to personal reasons.”
“In the next steps, we are asking our staff to focus on what they do best, imparting knowledge to the students of Manhattan 114. As a Board of Trustees, we are working to appoint an interim person and will keep you informed during this process. Update on the situation,” according to the email.
Rudy declined to comment on her resignation on Tuesday. Ragone and each board member did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Their resignations come just days after the board approved a new policy on Feb. 14 that resulted in the removal of a heart-shaped bulletin board with an LGBTQ symbol at Wilson Creek School.
The policy states that bulletin board materials should be “viewpoint-neutral, age-appropriate, and contribute to a positive learning environment.” According to this policy, material on bulletin boards may not disrupt the educational process, infringe the rights or privacy of others, infringe upon trademark or copyright, or be defamatory.
The bulletin board at Wilson Creek School in Manhattan has 12 hearts, two of which say “Open Heart” and “Open Mind” and 10 hearts of different colors. The school serves students in pre-kindergarten through second grade. The display includes a heart with a rainbow pattern and a white stripe with pink and blue stripes on either side.
The rainbow flag is a symbol of the LGBTQ community, and the transgender pride flag is white with light pink and blue stripes on the sides.
Ragan read a statement before the board’s vote saying teachers do not teach students about gender identity or sexual orientation, so the new policy will align the bulletin board with the curriculum.
“The purpose of this policy is to ensure that classroom instruction and public presentations are consistent while avoiding political topics or other content that could be viewed as divisive,” Ragone said.
akukulka@chicagotribune.com
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